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70 PIONEERS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY

voyage, Drake spent five weeks in June and July, 1579, in a bay
near latitude 38 degrees north.
First Mention of Gold: The narrative says: "Our General called
this country New Albion. There is no part of the earth her,e to be
taken up wherein there is not a reeasonable quantity of gold and
silver." It is difficult to reconcile this statement with the facts as
known at pt,esent, since in latitude 38 degrees north, neither gold
nor silver exists in "reasonable quantity" near the ocean; this is,
however, remarkable as the first mention of gold in California
proper.
In 1662 the Count de Monte Rey, Viceroy of New Spain, by
order of the King, sent Sebastian Viscaino on an exploring expe-
dition.
He sailed from Acapulco, May 5, 1602, with two vessels and a
tender, with Admiral Gomez in command.
The expedition, composed of a large number of men, was equipped
for one year's voyage. Three barefooted Carmelites accompanied
the party, and the several departments were in trusted to distinguished
officers, volunteers from Brittany.
After the struggle with the northwest winds, on November 10th,
1602, the fleet entered the harbor of San Diego, and, having spent
a few days there, the expedition again sailed north. December 16.
1602, anchor was cast in Monterey Bay, which was named in honor
of the Viceroy. January 3, 16o3, the fleet weighed anchor, and a
period of one hundred and sixty years elapsed before this bay was
revisited. January 12, the fleet passed the Bay of San Francisco,
and anchored behind a point of land called "La Punta de Reyes,"
but did not enter San Francisco harbor. The voyage was subse-
quently continued as far as latiture 43 degrees north, from which
point the fleet returned to Acapulco.
First Mission Established in Lower California: In 1697 the first
permanent Mission was established by the Jesuits at Loreta, Lower
California. "These people," says the historian, "with patient art
and devoted zeal, accomplished that which had defied the energy of
Cortez and baffled the efforts of the Spanish monarchy for genera-
tions afterwards."
First Mission in Upper California: In 1768, the Jesuits were
banished from Lower California. On the ninth day of January,
I 769, an expedition set sail from La Paz, in Lower California, to re-
discover San Diego and Monterey. The vessels stopped at Cape
St. Lucas, and left that point February I 5th of the said year. On
the first of July, 1769, a land expedition which had started shortly
after the vessel had set sail from Cape St. Lucas, under the imme-
diate charge of Padre J unipero Serra, reached San Diego and es-
tablished the first Franciscan Mission in Upper California.
Notwithstanding the facts revealed by the many expeditions, the
geographers of that day still persisted in describing California as an